


Blush

by ChaoticRice



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: 712 Old Valendia, Consent, F/M, Fluff, Virginity, implied demisexual larsa, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 12:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticRice/pseuds/ChaoticRice
Summary: He was speechless the first time she told him she wanted him.





	Blush

**Author's Note:**

> Established Larnelo. Circa 712 Old Valendia

Larsa was stunned the first time she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

Her kiss was bold, aggressive, heated, but it was also unexpected, staggering. He had no idea she was thinking of doing _that_ when she pulled him in to kiss, or that she even wanted to.

After all, he himself never even thought about it.

Penelo kissed him with passion, gently tugging at the hair on the back of his head. Her tongue brushed against his, igniting a heat within him, and he wondered why he never thought about kissing like this before. He kissed her back, taking hold of her hips to pull her closer.

* * *

 

He was speechless the first time she told him she wanted him. That she wanted _all_ of him.

He didn’t know what to say, what to do, or even what to think.

So he let her remove his doublet. Her Dalmascan hands, unfamiliar with Archadian clothing, fumbled with the intricate lacing. He could have shown her a quicker way to do it, but he found himself stunned, and everything was moving far too quickly to process – for his mind, as well as his heart.

Once doublet and shirt alike were stripped from him, he let her kiss his lips before she moved on to a sensitive area on his neck, and he failed to stifle a soft moan. Then, he returned her kisses, because he loved kissing her, that much he knew. But more importantly that that, he knew he loved her.

He just wasn’t sure if he was ready to go further.

Everything he knew about sex he had learned from educational books he read as a young adolescent. After going over the usual lessons of history, arithmetic, literature and science with his tutors, he would sneak away to all the libraries in Archades to find books on health and sexual education.

He knew the mechanics of it – the anatomy, and how everything functioned – both of the man and the woman.

But there was only so much he could learn from books. Some things had to be learned either from one’s own experience, or someone else’s, and growing up in the conservative world of the Archadian gentry, there was no one he could talk to.

His father was too busy; as emperor, that was a given. There were far more important things for Lord Gramis to do than to be wasting his time on such matters. As for Vayne, he never even _looked_ at another person with any sign of romantic or sexual interest. His mother and elder brothers had long gone. Drace was the closest he had to a mother, and perhaps if he had the nerve to ask questions, she would have gladly answered, for she was always kind to him. But she was a Judge, there to serve and protect him, his family, and their country. She was not there to teach him about matters of the heart; that wasn’t her duty, nor did he wish to burden her with such a task.

And so, Larsa never learned how to know if he was ready to take the next step in his relationship with Penelo. How would this affect him emotionally? What exactly did this _mean_ for their relationship? Did it change anything at all, really?

But more importantly, how would it affect _her?_

No one ever talked to him about the difference between sex and making love. While he could infer the difference himself, how would he _express_ that difference? How would he let Penelo know that this wasn’t just a physical act, and that her body was more to him than just that, but rather, an extension of the kind soul he loved more than any other? How would he tell her he loved her – that he would take care of her, protect her, that there was no one else in the world he would rather be with – without words, but through this act alone?

Would it be in the way he held her? Firmly, to say that he wanted to keep her close and never let go, or gently, to let her know that he had no intention of hurting her, and she was free to leave as she willed.

Another thing he was nervous about was the aspect of pleasure.

What would she want? Would she prefer a man to take charge, to show he was strong enough to protect her, to lift her burdens, so for once in her life she could relax and enjoy herself? Or would she want him to follow, to give her the power and control she so rightfully deserved, for she was no docile lamb, no. She was strong and knew exactly what she wanted, unlike him.

So what _did_ he want?

Perhaps, if he just gave it all a try, he would learn.

What he did know, was that the warmth of her body against his newly exposed skin was soothing and exciting all at once. And when she removed her top, he enjoyed brushing his thumbs along the supple skin of her breasts. More than any of that, he loved the soft hum of her moan, a song of pleasure in his ears, and it told him that she was enjoying this, too.

Penelo traced her fingers down his chest to his torso, then further until she stopped at his hips. With one finger she gently tugged at the waistband of his pants, and when she looked up at him, the playful nature of her expression changed into that of shyness and anticipation. There was hunger in her eyes, too, and how could he deny her the satisfaction she so craved?

But still, he wasn’t sure.

Larsa lowered his hand to stop hers. Penelo’s eyes darted up to search his expression, and she looked scared – of what, he wondered. Rejection, perhaps? If that was true, he must not let her feel that way…

“Is this okay?” she asked shyly.

He removed her hand from his waistband and instead, held it in his own shaking fingers. “This is all new to me,” he admitted, smiling both to reassure her, and to hide his own nervousness. “I’m not sure if I am ready.”

Penelo nodded, smiling softly in understanding. “It’s okay,” she said, “I remember that feeling. Larsa, we don’t have to do this yet.”

_We don’t have to do this yet._

His rapid heart began to slow, relaxing into its normal pace. It was a relief to know that she would be willing to wait for him. However, he would be lying to himself if he said there wasn’t a part of him that wanted to at least try.

“I know,” he said, looking down at their joined hands as he stroked her soft skin with his thumbs. “But I must admit: I am curious.”

“Of course,” she teased.

He let out a chuckle, and Penelo released her hands and wrapped her arms over his shoulders, pulling herself closer. She sunk her hands into his hair, fingers massaging the scalp before gently combing through his locks, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Okay, how about this,” she proposed, “I’ll take the lead. We’ll take it slow, and as soon as you feel uncomfortable, just tell me, and we’ll stop. Deal?”

“Excellent,” he said, and he kissed her, smiling into her lips as he caressed her flushed cheeks.

Maybe he was ready, and maybe he wasn’t, but he was willing to try, and he was grateful for the woman in front of him, for her patience and understanding. Of all the people in Ivalice, he was glad it was Penelo who he would share himself with.

Not just his body, but _all_ of him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was named after the song "Blush" by Aly & AJ


End file.
